Everything/Anything and…Chess…"Despite the documented evidence by chess historian HJR Murray, I've always thought that chess was invented by a goddess"–George Koltanowski: from the foreword to:"Women in chess, players of the Modern Age"

Enjoy the music of Sweet People and Barcarolle..and as I said before, knowing now how to give you a taster only…you can now only listen to about 3/4 of the track…sorry!https://chessaleeinlondon.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/10-barcarolle.mp3This mosaic has got different pictures and I don’t want to say too much. In short…you can see pictures from Loweswater Lake…I’ve blogged about Cockermouth and Mockerkin before and if you read my entries about it, you will also know where Loweswater is…in the Lake District. You can see a few pictures about Hawkshead, where Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top farm is, I have done an entry about her two days ago, read and see more images on this link. On this link you will also find the Cockermouth/Mockerkin-links….https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/beatrix-potters-hill-top-farm/Then you can see pictures that I took at Hadrian’s Wall and at Whitehaven. I’ve got some links for you to follow and to read about. The best to view this mosaic, is to click on it and you will see a lovely large picture. Do enjoy it!Please clickHERE to read more about Hadrian’s wall-trails…

Image: aboutscotland.co.uk…click on the image for a larger view
On the map, nr 3, is where we visited Birdoswald Roman Fort and remains of the wall. The third last picture on my image is a photo which I took at the Fort. In two pictures in the bottom row you can see remains of the wall. Read on this link why Hadrain built this wall.http://www.aboutscotland.co.uk/hadrian/wall.html

On this map I’ve indicated where the actual remains start…at Brampton, near Carlisle. Click on the image for a larger view.

Whitehaven….has many links with the USA, but perhaps the most famous link of all is that of John Paul Jones. Jones was born in Scotland, but raised in Whitehaven and trained as a seaman. These skills were transferred to the American military as Jones became the founding father of the US Navy. In an amazing turn of events, Jones, and his fleet, attacked Whitehaven during the American war of Independence, in 1777. Read also on this great link more about this Georgian town. http://www.visitcumbria.com/wc/whaven.htm

On this link HERE you can download Peter Rabbit MP3-stories for free! The link will open in a new window

We recently visited the Lake District and in particular, the western area, where you can see the purple-pinkish spot at Cockermouth. We stayed in an apartment at Mockerkin, just about 7 miles from Cockermouth. See my entry about Cockermouth here:https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/i-wandered-lonely-as-a-cloud/ and about Mockerkin here….https://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/mockerkin/. For my South African readers reading here…I know it’s funny to say “miles”, but in England, all distances are in miles, which was a ‘surprise‘ to us, as we are used to kilometers and the metric system in South Africa. I grew up with the metric system, but they try to keep the Imperial System in England….sort of part of “tradition”.

On this map you can see whereabouts the farm of Beatrix Potter is…the other purple spot at Hawkshead. It’s also at “Near Sawrey”…we travelled about an hour from where we stayed to Hill Top farm. You have to buy a timed ticket. We went really very early, bought our ticket -for 5 past 12. You can choose your time, but we didn’t as we wanted to go as early as possible…..so we had just more than an hour to wait. To while the time away, we were doing some sightseeing. They don’t allow many people to go in at any one time and they’re very strict. If your ticket says 5 past 12, you can’t try to slip in at 3 min past 12…ask me!! lol! You have to wait till they call the time your ticket says! On the map you will also see a spot at Carlisle…and that will be my next stop with a next entry…as we visited Hadrian’s Wall there. The remains are actually more near to Brampton…which is near Carlisle. Just south of Cockermouth you will see Whitehaven, a coastal town and it has a historical ‘story’ too. I’ve got some great images which I took there, Whitehaven has an American “connection”. If you’re curious, you can go and read about it…I will upload images about it later.

This image was taken in front of Hill Top farm

Part of the house, as there were many visitors, it was difficult to take a complete picture without any visitors. We were not allowed to take any pictures from the inside of the house, but I have images from “The tale of the Roly Poly pudding”….and if you visit the house, you are given this book and as you wander through the house, you can look at images in the book and the house too, as Beatrix Potter was an illustrator herself, you will see how perfectly she illustrated her books. In particular this tale, the setting was Hill Top farm! I also have a link where you can read the complete story online.

Front door

Part of the house that is not accessible to tourists. A farmer lives here and I think he looks after the farm too. Beatrix extended the original house, but it was asked in her testament that this part will not be accessible to tourists.

hmm…think you know what this is…this was taken a few meters away from the front door..

Samuel Whiskers! The title of this tale is…”The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or the Roly Poly pudding.” Of course you can’t leave this place without a little book and I bought myself this very tale as it has images that will remind me of the house…as the setting of this tale is this house!

This piece of art gives you a great idea of what the kitchen looks like. I love it!

Beatrix Potter was born on 28 July 1866 in South Kensington, London. She lived a lonely life at home, being educated by a governess and having little contact with other people. She had many animals which she kept as pets, studying them and making drawings.

Her parents took her on three month summer holidays to Scotland, but when the house they rented became unavailable, they rented Wray Castle near Ambleside in the Lake District. Beatrix was 16 when they first stayed here. Her parents entertained many eminent guests, including Hardwicke Rawnsley vicar of Wray Church, who in 1895 was to become one of the founders of the National Trust.

His views on the need to preserve the natural beauty of Lakeland had a lasting effect on the young Beatrix, who had fallen in love with the unspoilt beauty surrounding the holiday home.

For the next 21 years on and off, the Potters holidayed in the Lake District, staying once at Wray Castle, once at Fawe Park, twice at Holehird and nine times at Lingholm, by Derwentwater, famous now for its rhododendron gardens. Beatrix loved Derwentwater, and explored Catbells behind Lingholm. She watched squirrels in the woods, saw rabbits in the vegetable gardens of the big house. She made many sketches of the landscape. They still kept in touch with Rev Rawnsley, who after 5 years at Wray, moved to Crosthwaite Church just outside Keswick.

Rawnsley encouraged her drawings, and when back in London Beatrix made greetings cards of her pictures, and started a book. Rawnsley encouraged her to publish, and eventually Frederick Warne published ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ in 1902. Her third book, ‘Squirrel Nutkin’ had background views based on Derwentwater, Catbells and the Newlands Valley. Fawe Park featured in ‘The Tale of Benjamin Bunny’.

In 1903 Beatrix bought a field in Near Sawrey, near where they had holidayed that year. She now had an income from her books, Peter Rabbit having now sold some 50000 copies. In 1905 she bought Hill Top, a little farm in Sawrey, and for the next 8 years she busied herself writing more books, and visiting her farm. In 1909 she bought another farm opposite Hill Top, Castle Farm, which became her main Lakeland base. Seven of her books are based in or around Hill Top. Tom Kitten and Samuel Whiskers lived there. Hill Top is still as it was then, and is now the most visited literary shrine in the Lake District.

Beatrix Potter married William Heelis, a solicitor in Hawkshead, in 1913. Then started the next stage in her life, being a Lakeland farmer, which lasted for 30 years. The office of William Heelis is now the National Trust’s ‘Beatrix Potter Gallery’.

In 1923 she bought Troutbeck Park Farm, and became an expert in breeding Herdwick sheep, winning many prizes at country shows with them. Beatrix continued to buy property, and in 1930 bought the Monk Coniston Estate – 4000 acres from Little Langdale to Coniston – which contained Tarn Hows, now Lakeland’s most popular piece of landscape.

In 1934 she gave many of her watercolours and drawings of fungi, mosses and fossils to the Armitt Library in Ambleside.

When she died on 22 December 1943, Beatrix Potter left fourteen farms and 4000 acres of land to the National Trust, together with her flocks of Herdwick sheep. The Trust now owns 91 hill farms, many of which have a mainly Herdwick landlord’s flock with a total holding of about 25000 sheep. This was her gift to the nation, her own beloved countryside for all to enjoy. Beatrix was the first woman to be elected president-designate of the Herdwick Sheepbreeders’ Association, which continues to flourish.
Read more on this link…http://www.visitcumbria.com/bpotter.htm

Beatrix Potter bought Hill Top in 1905 with the royalties from her first few books, written at her parents home in London, but inspired by her annual holiday visits to the Lake District. She visited as often as she could, but never for more than a few days at a time, sketching the house, garden, countryside and animals for her new books.

After she bought the house, she busied herself writing more books, and visiting her farm. In 1909 she bought another farm opposite Hill Top, Castle Farm, which became her main Lakeland base.

Beatrix wrote many of her famous children’s stories in this little 17th century stone house. Characters such as Tom Kitten, Samuel Whiskers and Jemima Puddleduck were all created here, and the books contain many pictures based on the house and garden.

Beatrix bought many pieces of land and property in and around Sawrey, including the Old Post Office, Castle Cottage and a number of small farms. In 1913, aged 47, she married William Heelis in London and moved to Lakeland, living at Castle Cottage which was bigger and more convenient than Hill Top.

I looooooooove this piccie! It was one of those “make way”-moments that you get used to when travelling in the Uk…but it suited me…as I could take this pic the same time! Click on images for a larger view.

“Drive slowly”…the second small sign says…this is one entrance to Mockerkin…

“….them sheep, them sheep, them sheep…everywhere!”

“I can see clearly now…” why these mugs look like they do! hehe These were some of our mugs in the apartment…cute hey!

On this google-map you can see where Mockerkin is! On the edge of the Western part of the Lake District! Cockermouth is 7 miles away, the nearest town with a Saintsbury’s and that’s also where Wordsworth’s house is. I’ve done an entry on Wordsworth’s house a few days ago.

I was given this blog award by Wipneus, Reisiger and also by Eilandkindwhich I really appreciate as blogger friends. I’ve thought to spoil you all with two pictures from the Lake District. This fell/mountain on the top pic is called..and I hope I’m right…”Mellbreak”. I do apologise…when I followed my notes I’ve made, I realised that fell is called Carling Knott and it’s the very same Carling Knott that we climbed the day before our return…the only complete day without rain! during our stay. It’s about 320 m – comparing to Mount Aux Sources in South Africa (in the Drakensberg mountains) which I climbed when I was 15 and which is about 4300m! It’s very close to Mockerkin where we stayed and from where I took the picture, it’s about 1/4 mile to Loweswater, the quietest Lake of all the lakes in the Lake District. You can see part of Loweswater on the picture!

I need to pass this award on to 7 other bloggers and I don’t think I will find 7 bloggers in total, as so many of them have received it already, but let me try and see how many I can dig up! First, I want to pass it on to Meghna! Meghna is a wise 13 year old blogger and she’s just brilliant! She writes stories and poems…all her own and she is so creative in her writing, that you would think she’s a professional writer! I think she’s on the brink of a fantastic career as a writer, she just needs that one publisher..Did you know that Beatrix Potter had about 4 publishers that sent her books/works back to her, telling her they were not interested! but she was determined and that’s what Meghna is like…she just keeps on writing…I think she’s got some sort of machine…spitting out all those wonderful stories. Do yourself a favour and read her blog.
Secondly…I’ve only recently started reading Little Indian’s blog and I really enjoy reading his blog, please take a look at the wonderful writing and pics! Then, if you enjoy a good mix of humour, some chess, life and a bit of the current “politics” of America…jump into Ray’s blog…I do enjoy all his posts and he always has something interesting on his blog. Then I want to pass it on to The7new7ramanujan who’s blog I do enjoy too! He’s a student and sometimes shares the funny side of student life with us. I’ve also been reading Norrbu’s blog for quite a while and I love his blog too! Sometimes the entries are just “short and sweet”, but it says a lot…if you know what I mean! And lastly …Tony! He’s also one of my chess friends on the chess site and he lives near Bristol and makes me laugh a lot when we play chess, with his posts he sometimes puts a smile on my face too! He’s not afraid to call a spade a spade on his blog! and I like that about him. Well done to you all…I’ve decided to choose mainly English bloggers, as my Afrikaans-blogger friends have received this award and thought to introduce my English blogger-friends too. If you feel to pass this award on to other bloggers, feel free to do so. Wow! I managed to dig up at least 6 blogs! think I need to dig a bit deeper! —I’ve found my 7th blogger-friend!… Jasper! His blog is an Afrikaans blog, so all you people looking for somebody that loves poetry, music – composing his own songs! – and also some wonderful IT-stuff and ideas, then Jasper is your very next stop! enjoy! Thanks Jasper for all your IT-links and you always show us wonderful software to be downloaded for free!

It’s already one day after I’ve done this entry and I really want to add Roosmaryn’s blog! I should have mentioned her blog first! Her blog is not on my blogroll – as it is so special! – Roosmaryn’s blog is an educational blog and it’s all about South Africa’s history. If you love history like I do…and love is not really the word…I would like to say it in Afrikaans…as jy oor Geskiedenis VREK soos ek! ..well, now you know…please make an effort to visit her blog! She’s just amazing!!! Roosmaryn if you read here…I want to THANK you for all the effort and hard work you put into that blog of yours. I don’t know of any other blog with bits of our history like yours! I think your blog is brilliant!! Keep up the good work you’re doing!!

To my other Afrikaans blogger-friends, you all know how much I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE your blogs too and I will keep reading all the wonderful posts I always find when visiting your blogs!

I’ve got a song here…”Green Green Grass of Home” by Tom Jones and I specially load this song to go with these images from the Lake District as I’ve thought that the English might sing…”green green grass of home” when travelling all along the Lakes! lol!

The pic of this tree was taken just about 5 min walk from the parking area on your way to Loweswater.

Image:trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/United_Kingdom/photo373524.htm“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Wordsworth’s house in Cockermouth, where he was born. He spent his later years in Dove Cottage – in Grasmere – and in 1813 they moved to Rydal Mount, where William and Mary stayed until their deaths in 1850 and 1859. Whilst at Rydal Mount William became Distributor of Stamps for Westmorland, and had an office in Church St Ambleside. In 1820 he published his ‘Guide through the District of the Lakes’. In 1842 he became the Poet Laureate, and resigned his office as Stamp Distributor. William married Mary quite late in his life. Something which I read about him, which you don’t read on all sites, is that he went to France in 1791 and met Annette Vallon. She gave him French lessons, for free, and they fell in love and she got pregnant. She had a girl and her name was Caroline. William wanted to return to support her with the child, but because of the war between England and France, he couldn’t return. I read this piece of info in the book…”Among the Lakes and fells” by John Kahn.

We’ve been away for the past week. We went to the Western part of the Lake District… had a few rainy days, so spent some of the days to visit some very exciting places. Only when we arrived at Mockerkin, the owners of our cottage informed us about Wordsworth’s house in Cockermouth and Beatrix Potter’s Hill Top-farm in Hawkshead and we were left with hundreds of leaflets, maps and books about surrounding areas. I’ve got zillions of wonderful pictures to sort out, but for a start, thought to post this poem which William Wordsworth wrote. I had the wonderful opportunity to read his sister, Dorothy’s Lakeland Journal, due to the weather! And, once again, due to the weather… I’ve translated William’s poem in Afrikaans, but I’ve also changed it a little bit, so it’s not exactly the same…and I call my poem…the Dance of the Daffodils! For now, you have to be satisfied with this poem, as I’ve got some unpacking to do…and tomorrow is a day with friends, so not much time for blogging, but I’ll try my best to upload a few more about the visit to William’s house in Cockermouth. Sadly, we didn’t visit Dove’s cottage in Grasmere, where he spent his later years, as our time was a bit limited when we went to Hill Top farm. If you visit Hill Top farm, you get a timed ticket, which means you buy the ticket and can only enter the time your ticket tells you. In this way the National Trust try to control the number of visitors as the house is quite small and not many people at any one time can move around the house comfortably. Also, it’s a way to preserve to property, but more about Hill Top farm in another entry later this week!

I’ve got so much to share and so many pictures to go through, but first things first…follow the link I’ve given to read a bit more. Please click on images for a larger view.

Wordsworth Museum

William Wordsworth’s sister, Dorothy, kept this diary…a diary which is worth reading! There is also the “Grasmere and Alfoxden Journals” to be read. I will definitely try and get hold of the “Grasmere”-diary to read too.

Plaque inscription

Front garden as seen through a window from the inside of the house

Rear garden through a window in Wordsworth’s house

Hand water pump!

Rear garden and house as seen from the garden

Bench in rear garden

Foot bridge behind Wordsworth house across River Derwent

River Derwent… River Cocker and River Derwent meet in CockermouthDove cottage in Grasmere…which we didn’t visit

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Beauty lives with kindness-Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona

I took the road less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference. Robert Frost Creativity is the defeat of habit by originality.-Arthur KoestlerNo man ever steps in the same river twice-
HeraclitusThere is nothing more frightening than active ignorance. - Goethe Churchill described his impressions of the Boer army when he first saw it, as a recently taken captive: 'What men they were, these Boers! I thought of them as I had seen them in the morning riding forward through the rain--thousands of independent riflemen, thinking for themselves, possessed of beautiful weapons, led with skill, living as they rode without commissariat or transport or ammunition column, moving like the wind, and supported by iron constitutions'.Carlsen vs Anand Sochi 2014

Anand vs Carlsen Chennai 2013You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.-Abraham LincolnSpoken by great men:"Give me 20 divisions of American soldiers and I will breach Europe. Give me 15 consisting of Englishmen and I will advance to the borders of Berlin. Give me two divisions of those marvellous fighting Boers and I will remove Germany from the face of the earth." - Field Marshal Bernard L. Montgomery, Commander of the Allied Forces during WW2."The Americans fight for a free world, the English mostly for honor, glory and medals, the French and Canadians decide too late that they have to participate. The Italians are too scared to fight, the Russians have no choice. The Germans for their Fatherland. The Boers? Those sons of Bitches fight for the hell of it." Amercan General, George 'Guts and Glory' Patton.
European Chess Club Cup 2012

London Chess Classic 2015A nation that forgets its past has no future - Winston ChurchillHe who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool. Shun him. He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child. Teach him. He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep. Wake him. He who knows, and knows that he knows, is a leader. Follow him. If Education is the key, school is the lock. Education is either to calm the disturbed or disturb the calm. He who opens a school door, closes a prison-Victor HugoDocendo discimus [by teaching we learn] Gary Player: 'I am a South African, a nation which is the result of an African graft on European stock and which is the product of its instinct and ability to maintain civilized values and standards amongst the aliens'.Above all shadows rides the sun- Tolkien In Renaissance Europe chess was part of the education of the nobility and was proclaimed the “Royal Game.” In 1732 Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay, The Morals Of Chess, in which he said “The game of chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualties of the mind useful in the course of human life are to be acquired and strengthened by it....” 'Rebranding the Afrikaner: World Cup watershed?' [CNN] A good link: read all of Jabulani74's comments on this link.
on THIS LINK you can read the truth - Sharpeville [or the lies, whichever way you want to see it-see the 2nd image too]The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. Dante AligheriSow the wind - Reap the hurricaneIstanbul Chess 2012 [Click the image for the official site]Biel Chess Festival 2011- Click the image for the official site "Mag aldus die Afrikaner stam, van wie die toekoms altyd vol hoop was, in die einde opgroei tot 'n kragtige boom, en ons dade toon dat ons waardig is om 'n plek in te neem in die ry van die volke..." Paul KrugerLife is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain-Vivian GreeneNo one can know or appreciate the Boer who does not know his past, for he is what his past has made him- Conan Doyle - Click HERE to read more by Doyle.

An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it.South Africa. Other than Germany probably the most misunderstood White country in the world. A country that has now degenerated into anarchy.Let’s take an unbiased look at their noble history.[click for the link]He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. Thomas JeffersonAny dead thing can go with the stream; it takes something ALIVE to swim against it.Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.T.S. Eliot Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal; bad poets deface what they take and good poets make it into something better, or at least something differentThe man who does not know who his great-grandfather was, naturally enough would not care what he was...the man who fears to disgrace his ancestor is certainly less likely to disgrace himself. Charles Major, When Knighthood was in Flower

Die grootheid van die mens kan gesien word in hoe hy teenoor sy minderheid optree.Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three.-ConfuciusMusic expresses feeling and thought, without language; it was below and before speech, and it is above and beyond all words. ~Robert G.Ingersoll'And lastly, we learn by chess the habit of not being discouraged by present bad appearances in the state of our affairs; the habit of hoping for a favorable chance, and that of preserving in the search of resources.' -Benjamin Franklin, 'The Morals of Chess'The hardest game to win is a won game --Emmanuel LaskerAvoid the crowd. Think independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece- RumiIt is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. -Herman MelvilleWhile one should always study the method of a great artist, one should never imitate his manner. The manner of an artist is essentially individual, the method of an artist is absolutely universal. The first is personality, which no one should copy.Did you know: Chess has the most extensive literature of any game, sport or pastime.Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe –Indian proverbChess is the touchstone of the human intellect.
-Johann Wolfgang von GoetheThe chessboard is the world, the pieces are the phenomena of the Universe, the rules of the game are what we call the laws of Nature and the player on the other side is hidden from us--Thomas Huxley.God created the world just like a knife and left it up to us to take it by the handle or the blade--C J LangenhovenJou persepsie hang waarskynlik alles af van hóé wyd jou opvatting van die poësie is-Joan Hambidge.Doubt is the beginning, not the end, of wisdom.- Proverb. I doubt, therefore I think; I think therefore I am.-Rene Descartes-
Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.- Paul Tillich
He who knows nothing, doubts nothing. Spanish proverb. Wisdom begins in wonder.- SocratesVal eerder in my sop as in my rede--LangenhovenSeek in the past everything that is good and clean and build thereon your future.Vriende moet soos boeke wees, min, maar goed uitgesoek --LangenhovenFriends should be like books, few, but hand-selected --Langenhoven Goeie boeke en musiek verryk jou siel --LangenhovenGood books and music enrich your soul --LangenhovenLet those love now who never loved before. Let those who always loved now love the more. --Thomas ParnellLove is like quicksand--the deeper you fall in, the harder it is to get out.Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.There is no failure except in no longer trying--Elbert Hubbard.The secret of success is the ability to survive failure --Noel Coward.You cannot step twice in the same river, for other waters are continually flowing in--Knowing not how to listen is knowing not how to speak--Heraclitus, Fragments.Vuil wasgoed is om te was!-- Langenhoven'I think one move ahead - but it is always the best move'-RetiSome part of a mistake is always correct. - Savielly TartakoverChess teaches you to control the initial excitement you feel when you see something that looks good and it trains you to think objectively when you're in trouble.--Stanley Kubrick A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction.
Leo Tolstoy Love is like a knife, it can stab the heart or it can carve wonderful images into the soul that will last a lifetime.A rising tide raises all boats! - JFKennedyThe artist creates in order to free himself, only to find himself again in the end-Irma SternAnd think not you can guide the course of love. For love, if it finds you worthy, shall guide your course.Kahlil Gibran Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.TarraschChess is a beautiful mistress.LarsenChess is as much a mystery as women.PurdyEarly to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.Benjamin FranklinLove is like a Game of Chess: One False Move and You're Mated ~ Anonymous~Chess is the art which expresses the science of logic.Mikhail BotvinnikThe pawns are the soul of chess.Philidor~~Play to win, if not, be an artist and draw~~

Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach. Aristotle
By learning we teach and by teaching we learn
Men Top Ten chess players
Women Top Ten chess players

Chess Grandmaster -Vassily Ivanchuk says:
"And do you like playing chess against women?
I wouldn’t say I do particularly, but I also wouldn’t say I don’t like it. In general, I try not to make an exception out of games against women. In chess, female logic differs little from male logic, which you can see just by analysing games. After all, the strongest female players work with men in one way or another. I don’t know what the female style of play is. Or more precisely, I don’t see any difference when compared to male play. In everyday life I also don’t divide people into men and women. For me, personal qualities, mentality and upbringing are the important things when spending time with people."

Some Thoughts

Everyone is a genius.But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright.― Benjamin FranklinThe real challenges on the way to become a master test your strength of character more than they test your chess skill!-Kevin SpraggettA people are what its women are. The woman is the conscience of her nation as well as the measure of its values. The moral life of a nation is controlled by the women and by the women can we measure the moral condition of the people. - Postma Descartes: cogito ergo sum (ek dink, daarom is ek)==The stupid neither forgive nor forget, the naive forgive and forget,the wise forgive but do not forget--Thomas SzaszWanneer jy groot dinge dink, groot dinge glo en groot dinge bid, gebeur groot dinge - N V PealeMense sonder boeke, is soos arende sonder vlerke-G.D.LabuschagneA mere copier of nature can never produce anything great. -Joshua Reynolds
~~~ Jou beeld is 'n verflenterde foto in 'n skewe, versplinterde raam en 'n sestal geskommelde letters spel jou tweelettergrepige naam Jou woorde is dor manuskripte vir die motte bewaar op die rak en ons dae 'n kralesnoer syfers op 'n outydse muuralmanak. - Koos du PlessisLove means nothing in tennis, but it's everything in life.Einstein:Chess grips its exponent, shackling the mind and brain so that the inner freedom and independence of even the strongest character cannot remain unaffected.

Die woord 'skaak' kom van die Persiese woord 'sjah', wat koning beteken. Ook die woord 'mat' is Persies en beteken 'dood'.
~~~2010!If chess is a science, it's a most inexact one. If chess is an art, it's too exacting to be seen as one. If chess is a sport, it's too esoteric. If chess is a game, it's too demanding to be just a game. If chess is a mistress, she's a demanding one. If chess is a passion, it's a rewarding one.
If chess is life, it's a sad one-UnknownAnand vs Topalov 21 April 2010Book of the moment: In Search of South Africa by H V Morton

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Don't Quit
by: Unknown Author

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit.
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns
As every one of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out:
Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

'He who knows not and knows not he knows not, is a fool, shun him. He who knows not and knows he knows not, is simple, teach him. He who knows and knows not that he knows, is asleep, wake him. He who knows and knows that he knows, is a leader/wise - follow him.' -